Meadow Gaze
by DarkStarlet
Summary: Alma Gray is a new teacher at Konoha Academy. She's attracting a lot of attention from a certain Abarume Clan head, but is it really as unwanted as she's making it out to be? Rated M for language and mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

Meadow Gaze – A Naruto FanFic

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters I only own my OCs and** the** plot.**

She sat there, drawing away like she knew she wasn't being watched by him. She knew he was there, but wasn't going to call him out; she was too nice for that.

She was drawing a beetle in a little jar with a magnified top, black head and underside, with thick black legs and a golden/green wing casing on its back. What had attracted her to it in the first place though, were the extravagant silver/grey eyes. She wasn't really known for her love of insects, in fact, people assumed she hated them, but now that he'd seen her like this, it was like seeing an entirely different person.

Alma was a new teacher at the Academy, she taught survival skills in a new course set up by the Hokage after a disaster struck down three new genin. She wasn't a ninja though, and it was a requirement that you had to be chunin level or above to teach at the Academy, so Shibi Abarume was curious about her. Even more curious now that she was in his private training field studying beetles.

She had shoulder length dark hair that had a deep purple hint to it, expressive hazel eyes and skin so pale it was nearly white. Some people said it was because she was a foreigner that men had been falling for her left, right and centre, the exotic cast to her features that ensnared them, but now Shibi knew that was wrong.

He'd met her as she'd arrived in Konoha for the first time, and seeing her surrounded by her five dogs, you'd be forgiven for thinking she was a close friend of the Inuzuka Clan. She had become close with them after that though, mostly because all the dogs were of breeds the clan had never seen before and because one of them was having an awkward pregnancy.

She'd even promised the clan that they could keep some of the puppies, much to the joy of the children there, now they all wanted a puppy…

Shibi kept himself concealed and moved a little closer, to see what Alma-sensei was drawing, and found that she was full of surprises. She was an excellent artist too it would seem, as far as he could tell anyway. Her now coloured sketch was almost like an exact copy of the six-legged critter sitting pretty in the jar. He smiled to himself; it wasn't often you came across women like her.

He watched as she packed her things into her satchel and as she uncapped the jar to set the beetle free. It soared away, back to the flowers where it had been captured, pleased as punch. Alma's gaze followed it and she smiled when it vanished from view in the long grass. She turned and walked out of the clearing to get back to creating lessons for her students, her soft pastel peach coloured dress with a pale yellow and pink flower design flowing about her in the gentle breeze, her head bowed in thought.

Shibi looked back into the clearing and noted that the grass where she'd been sitting was flat, and that there was a piece of paper sitting in the middle of it. Lightly stepping over to it, he picked it up to see what it was, thinking that the teacher must have dropped it. When he read it though, he only frowned and crumpled it into a ball before pocketing it.

It had read:

'You do know staring is rude, don't you?'

Shibi looked down the path the woman had taken back into the village, and then followed the same track to the market, that same frown plastered to his head.

**(AN: I'm really enjoying writing this FanFic. Shibi Abarume is my guilty pleasure... I've stopped writing some of my other fics because when it comes to thinking up a new scene, I loose the will to live. R&R please.)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1 - The Edge of Pissed Off

"A little harder, adjust the angle a little higher… there you go!"

Alma-sensei was at work at one of her after school classes for those who'd already left the Academy, and her first lesson for them, was making fire through friction. Each of her students had been given a worksheet on the triangle of fire and had to list all the techniques to making fire for homework. She was teaching them the hardest method at that time, rubbing two sticks together to create an ember strong enough to be put into tinder and used to create a flame.

She was just getting Kiba Inuzuka to demonstrate the technique she'd taught him only the day before at his home, to show that it was an easy skill and that anyone could do it.

Kiba carefully tipped the ember into the tinder of birch bark and flower fluff and held it close to his face before blowing it into a flame. He sneezed a little at the smoke in his face, but completed the fire he'd made without complaint. He grinned to himself when the fire finally took hold of the small twigs he had laid on top of the tiny flame, and gently applied larger sticks to make it grow.

The class of genin, chunin and jounin applauded him and Alma before she dismissed them and began putting out the multitude of small fires they'd been creating in a sectioned off part of the Academy playground.

"Shino-kun? Can you stay and help me put these fires out?" she called carefully, trying not to show favouritism. The boy silently did as he was told and by the time the last of the embers were extinguished the playground was empty apart from the pair of them.

"I had another reason to ask you to stay Shino-kun… can you give your father this note? It's about him not turning up to class, so get it to him as soon as possible, okay?"

The Abarume heir nodded and headed home to deliver the message, wondering himself why his father had not turned up. He didn't have a mission, and there weren't any council meetings on today… what could be keeping him?

Alma walked home to shower and get ready for the night ahead. Anko and Kurenai had convinced her to party with them that night down at the Sleeping Shinobi, the only private ninja club in the village. Anko assured her that she would get in even though she wasn't a ninja because of her teaching position, but Alma wasn't too sure.

She stepped out of the shower and into her living-room in nothing but a fluffy black towel. She closed the window, not remembering opening it, and shut the curtains too. Crossing the room in the dark to the light switch she fumbled along the wall until she found it and flicked the light on. Turning round, she screamed at the figure standing in the corner, and backed away, nearly falling over.

Shibi Abarume raised his hands in a sign of peace and stepped into the light, he narrowly dodged the hardback book of edible plants that was thrown at him, and turned his head ever so slightly to watch it thud into the wall and hit the floor.

"PERVERT!" Alma screamed before slamming her bedroom door and hurriedly finding her dressing gown to throw on so she could yell at the Abarume again.

She opened the door and squeaked at the close proximity of the man before her. She glared with the intent to kill at him and gritted her teeth to bite back her rage.

"Can I help you…?" she growled through her teeth.

"I'm here about the note you sent me through my son."

"You could have waited until tomorrow, which would be the most appropriate time to visit. Seeing as you broke into my home just now. You couldn't have failed to hear that I was in the shower, so why did you persist in visiting me, at this hour too?"

"I am leaving on a mission first thing tomorrow morning so this was the only available time to see you. I had only just arrived when you had gotten out of the shower, and so I was giving you time to get dressed before disturbing you. Unfortunately I didn't predict your arrival in the living area, and as such, it led to this situation."

Alma continued to send daggers at Shibi and then relented, realising that her death stare wasn't going to get through to him. She sidled past him and walked to the living room before sitting on the sofa and patting the seat next to her for Shibi to sit down.

She straightened up and took a deep breath, and went into what Shibi could only describe as 'Teacher Mode'.

"Abarume-sama, you have not been turning up to lessons you are required to take by order of the Hokage. I would like to know why?"

"I feel that I have no reason to attend them."

"Really now? Tell me, can you survive in the wild, all by yourself?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so, let's just say you're stuck in a forest area, with no idea where you are, but you know that a search team would be able to reach you in about two to three weeks, you have no aid from your bugs and you're injured. What's the first thing you do?"

"Hypothetically speaking?"

"Yes."

"I would make a fire-"

"Wrong. Try again."

"I would scope out the area looking for the best place to build a shelter and that would also have enough resources to sustain me for the required length of time."

"Correct. And next?"

"Build a fire."

"Wrong. Shibi Abarume-sama, if this were an exam, I would have failed you. You need to take these lessons. As you are already behind I will make a request to the Hokage that I give you private lessons starting when you get back from your mission. You will take them or you will not be allowed out on missions until you pass. Do you understand?"

"Yes Alma-sensei."

"Good, now piss off, I'm going out."

Shibi exited through the door, scowling furiously behind his glasses. How dare she put him down like that? He went home to pack for his mission and fumed the whole time inside his coat, ignoring the kikai telling him that she was right.

**(AN: R&R please, it keeps me alive!)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 - Unexpected Rush

Gai and Lee were pushing themselves to the limits; sweat rolled of them and stained their green spandex suits.

Alma face-palmed.

They still hadn't got the hang of making fire and so she'd taken them on a short trip outside of the village to test them in the wild. She let them get on with it, noting their mistakes and all the while wondering what the hell she was doing out there with them.

The sticks burst into flames, much to the surprise of Alma, and to the joy of Gai and Lee. They cheered and danced around the fire, tears streaming down their cheeks.

"A little unorthodox… but a pass all the same. You need to work on your technique though. I'll put you down for the Intensive Course to get you fine-tuned."

"Thank you Alma-sensei!" the pair chimed, scaring the living shit out of the teacher before them.

Alma sighed and waved them to put out the fire and make their way back to the village. She packed her papers for grading later and trudged back by herself.

She reached the gates without incident and bumped into Kakashi Hatake on his way out.

She nodded to him and he gave her a cheery wave back, which became deflated as Gai and Lee dashed up to him to tell the Copy-Nin of their fire-making success.

Alma waded in to quiet them and put her fingers on their foreheads before gently dragging her hands down and making a 'whoosh' noise, which stunned the green beasts into silence.

Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow at the young woman and gave her a crinkle-y eyed smile in gratitude.

"It's something I picked up on my travels… you should try it sometime, on someone who's really annoying you. As you can see, it works."

Kakashi nodded again before continuing on his way out of the village with his genin team made up of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki. They were escorting an older man somewhere; she nodded at them to wish them luck on their mission, and walked back to her home on the edge of the village.

She smiled at some of her students from the Academy when they ran past playing 'ninja' a glorified version of hide-and-seek tag. Her door creaked open and she resolved not to oil it, seeing as it might serve as a warning of someone entering her home.

Ever since Shibi Abarume had broken into her ground floor apartment she'd been a little on edge about security, having installed new locks and movement sensors on all the windows.

She screamed at the hand that landed on her shoulder and whirled around and struck out at the arm holding her. Shibi wasn't able to block and took a punch to the face and hit the floor hard as Alma swept his legs out from underneath him.

Alma glared at him.

"I'm not going to apologise, pervert."

"I didn't expect you to." Shibi replied from his position on the floor.

He got up slowly, resisting the urge to cradle his jaw… that punch had hurt. He followed Alma through to the living room where she gestured for him to sit while she put her things away.

He remained standing.

When Alma returned she sent Shibi another glare before settling into 'Teacher Mode'.

"Now that you've returned I'll expect you to turn up to lessons after Academy hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from four til six pm. I'll be coming round to your home on Wednesday evenings from six til eight pm to give you catch up lessons. Is this understood?"

Shibi nodded and turned to leave, but stumbled and leaned against the wall.

Alma's reaction surprised him; she took his arm and forced him to lie on the sofa before opening his coat and feeling his pulse.

"You're exhausted! What the heck have you been doing? You're chakra's so low… you should get to the hospital right now!"

Shibi shook his head and mumbled something that Alma couldn't hear, so she leaned closer to him and asked him to repeat himself.

"I think I've been poisoned, but the kikai are taking care of it."

That was when he passed out.

Shibi opened his eyes slowly, his kikai telling him that his system was clear of the poison and that he wasn't alone in his hospital room.

He turned to look at the person seated in the chair to his left, and saw a sleeping Alma curled up in a very awkward position. He blinked a couple of times and realised that his glasses and coat were missing. He saw them on the little table next to his bed and reached for the shades.

Alma's hand shot out and stopped him from moving, her gaze hard at first, but it soon softened as she put his glasses on for him.

"You shouldn't move too much, you're not completely recovered."

Shibi raised his eyebrows and was about to offer an unkind retort but stopped himself when he saw the look on the woman's face.

She looked so scared for him.

"You nearly died Shibi-sama… your clan medic only just got to you in time… a few minutes more and you would have-"

Shibi silenced her by putting his hand over hers. She looked up at him with a little confusion and then she stood and walked to the door.

"I'll go tell the nurse you're awake."

"Why?" Shibi asked quickly.

"What?"

"Why did you help me?"

"You're my student now… and… I've seen too much death to have just let you die…"

And with that admission, she was gone. A nurse appeared a few minutes later, followed by Shino and the Abarume Clan medic.

He was told that the poison had been attacking his kikai's immune systems, killing them off before they could create a resistance, and that then it had started attacking his own immune system.

He never realised… that whole time on the way back… he'd been dying…

He was released from the hospital later that day, and was given a full two weeks off missions so that he could get better.

Shino told him that for the whole three days he'd been in hospital, Alma's lessons had been cancelled. She not left his side once…

But why hadn't she told him that, did she not want him to know?

Shibi was still a little confused by the woman; she could hate him and hurt him, and in the next second be trying to save his life…

The clan medic looked over him one more time before leaving the house with Shino. His son had a mission, so now Shibi was alone. He sighed to himself, it wasn't that often he had some time to himself these days, so he decided to catch up on some light reading, and settled into his chair.

A couple of hours later someone knocked on his door and broke the comfortable silence. He strode over to the door and opened it quickly, wanting to get back to his book.

Alma was standing there.

"What? You forget I was coming over or something?"

Shibi remained blank.

"It's Wednesday, it's six o'clock… I'm to give you private lessons, remember?"

Shibi stepped back to allow her entry to his home, his kikai hummed softly when he smelled the woman's perfume. It was light and floral, like her dress, it was quite pleasant. Shibi hushed his kikai and followed Alma into the back garden. How did she know his house so well?

"If you're wondering why I know my way around, it's because I took Shino meals… I had to make sure he ate well so… I hope you don't mind."

"No, it's fine." Shibi mumbled, wondering if she was a mind reader, and at the same time silently thanking her in his head for looking after his son.

She went out on the back porch and turned to him finally, holding out a bag with a large tub in it.

"I made you some stew… it's an old family recipe, but I hope you like it, coming by the right herbs has been a nightmare."

They stared at each other for a few moments until Alma broke the silence.

"I'll go get you a bowl then…"

She put the tub down next to him and walked to the kitchen to fetch the dishes. She returned a few moments later with one bowl and made Shibi sit down on the porch, he shouldn't be so formal she told him, he didn't need to stand to attention all the time. She gave him a generous helping and turned her back to him so he could eat.

She listened for the bowl to be put down and then took it, washed it, and put it away. It was almost like she was mothering him…

It wasn't that he didn't like it, but it did make him feel uncomfortable.

She reached for him and he pulled away.

"What, you're scared of my hand now? Ooh! My scary hand, it's coming to get you!" she giggled.

She stood and walked to the middle of the garden, looked around as though analysing it, and then turned to face him.

"Well? Come on then, let's get started!"

Shibi found himself obeying, even though he didn't want to… somewhat…

Damnit! He was confusing himself now!

They stood a little ways apart and Alma started giving him instructions.

"Say we're lost in the woods and this is the place we come across whilst searching for shelter. What's the first thing you do? Well, you can see that there are enough resources around to aid us, but that's not it. Can you guess?"

"…"

"Shibi… I'm not pissing about here. Answer the question."

Stunned a little by her venomous use of his name without a suffix, Shibi didn't answer. So Alma hit him.

"Every time you fail to do what I have told you, or fail to answer a question, I will hit you."

"… Predators and threats…"

"Yes?"

"You look for them and make sure the area is secure?"

"Correct. Now it's getting dark, so you want to make sure you're safe while you sleep, shelter and fire are your next options. Come here, I'll show you how to make a basic shelter."

Shibi got wacked three more times before the end of the lesson, and Alma was still angry with him too.

"I'll forgive you if you do something for me."

"Forgive me? For getting your questions wrong?"

"No… for being a pervert and breaking into my house twice. How did you get in the last time anyway, I put on new locks and alarms."

"I know, but I can't tell you."

"Why? You planning on perving on me sometime soon?"

"No."

"Anyway… I'll forgive you if you stop breaking in, and if you teach me something."

"What would you like to know?"

"Taijutsu."

"You are close to Gai-sensei; you could get him to teach you?"

Alma visibly shuddered, "No way in hell."

"Why me?"

"You're just about one of the only people in this whole village I can stand."

"Really… I thought you hated me, for _perving on you_ as you so wilfully put it."

"Ha! So you admit it!"

"I never said that. But I'll agree to teach you a few things. Let's start now."

"Now?"

Shibi didn't answer her; he just launched a punch at the woman, forcing her to throw herself backwards out of his grasp.

He attempted to punch her again, a little faster this time, aiming for her abdomen. She twisted to the side and launched a kick at him by spinning her body to his back. Shibi ducked and kicked Alma's legs out from underneath her and she went down hard. She landed on her shoulder, and dislocated it in the sudden jolt.

Alma screamed in pain and clutched her shoulder, writhing on the ground.

Shibi stopped what he was doing and realised what he'd done. He stooped down to examine the teacher, and grabbed her loose arm before shoving it back into place. Alma screamed again.

He picked her up bridal style and took her to the kitchen before hurriedly grabbing some ice from the freezer for her. She was cursing him, threatening him and was otherwise being as loud and as obnoxious as she could. He pulled back the edge of Alma's top and pressed the ice pack to her shoulder before sitting with her in a chair by the table. Her cussing grew quieter until she fell silent and Shibi realised she'd fallen asleep.

Great, now what did he do?

He took Alma to one of the guest bedrooms and sent some of his kikai with a message to his neighbours. They were to tell the Hokage and the Academy that Alma would not be teaching tomorrow because of an accident.

He felt really bad about hurting her like that; he let his emotions get away from him, just like when he was a child, what was wrong with him?

He turned to go back to his room to beat himself up when the woman rolled over in her sleep and stirred.

"Shibi… you bastard…" she mumbled.

The man smirked at the thought of her dreaming about him and cursing him even then, and wondered to himself why he liked that so much. If anyone else had dared to curse at him like this woman did, they would have been dealt with much faster and silenced.

Was it because she was a woman? No…

Was it because she was a civilian? No…

Was it because she was his teacher now? No… he distinctly remembered beating up his sensei's on numerous occasions during training when he was younger.

So what was it?

His kikai tried to guess, but he ignored their statements that were quite frankly embarrassing him. He did not like this woman one little bit, and she only saw him as a student who needed mothering, didn't she?

Now Shibi's head was hurting…

He went to bed and tried to forget about the day behind him, but he didn't sleep until the early hours of the morning, much to his distaste.

**(AN: I love Shibi! Abarume lovers unite! R&R please)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3 - Realisation

Iruka Umino sighed; he hadn't seen Alma-sensei for nearly a week now, and he hoped that Abarume-sama was taking good care of her.

Iruka liked her style of teaching, it was harsh and no-nonsense, but she could always make anyone do whatever she wanted just by smiling at them and offering her students a chance to redeem themselves in front of her. It was sly and manipulative, but hey, if it worked, why stop it?

Her classes had been cancelled, but each day, Shibi Abarume-sama's kikai would drop off worksheets and homework for her students, not written by the woman herself though, she had handwriting that was much more delicate than the bug-lord's. It was nice to know that she was still doing her best for her students even though she was unable to see them in person.

He made the decision to visit the Abarume compound to see how Alma was getting on, and see if she would be coming back to work anytime soon. The Umino finished packing his paperwork and locked the door to the staff room, he being the last to leave again. He locked the door to the school and closed the gates into the playground before wrapping the chain about the centre and padlocking it. He had way too many keys, and he didn't even know what some of them did.

Iruka walked to the compound, realising that it was getting a little darker these days. Winter was coming. He liked the winter, because of the snow; it reminded him of happier times with his family.

The compound walls loomed up before him and he waved to the young man standing just inside the wall like a guard. He house that belonged to the head of the Abarume clan was the largest, and right at the back with private access to the forest beyond the village. Not that he knew where that was; it was only accessible from the main house and required a blood seal to work, that way keeping the village secure. It was a traditional building, with a few modern comforts added in recent years, like the antenna for the television, and wires to carry electricity into the house. With at least ten bedrooms, two large living areas, massive kitchen, en-suites for every room and a heated indoor pool, it was possibly the grandest home in Konoha, aside from the Hyuuga main house and the Uchiha compound.

The teacher knocked on the door and when he got no answer, he wondered if everything was okay. He pushed the door a little to find it unlocked, which surprised Iruka as the Abarume were well known for their privacy. He opened the door slowly and called out into the house.

"Hello! Anyone home? It's Iruka Umino, the Academy teacher."

Still no answer…

Iruka stepped into the house, put down his bag silently and slipped through the house, keeping to the shadows. He felt two small chakra signatures from near the back of the house and made his was to them carefully.

He peered round the corner of the kitchen door, out into the garden where the teacher finally spotted Shibi and Alma standing there.

"Hello?" he said loud enough for them to hear. The pair turned around in unison and Iruka saw the bandaged right arm, held in a home-made sling.

"Alma-sensei! What's happened to you?" cried Iruka as he approached them, forgetting all about the Abarume head beside the woman.

"Ask him." She jerked her head at the man, and shot him a glare too, then walked over to Iruka to greet him properly.

"Abarume-sama…?"

"We were… training."

"Training?"

"Yes."

"And now he won't even let me leave the house to do my job! I think he's feeling guilty…" Alma interjected.

Iruka looked between the two of them, the tension thick in the air; you could cut it with a kunai. Deciding he really didn't want to get involved, Iruka turned to the frustrated woman, and asked her when she would be coming back to work.

"Monday hopefully… right Bug-Boy?"

"Yes."

'Bug-Boy?' How could Alma get away with calling the Abarume that?

Making a quick exit, Iruka bade them farewell and let them get back to glaring at each other.

Alma waved Iruka-sensei off and shut the front door behind him, turning to find Shibi right behind her.

"I do wish you'd stop doing that. I'll jump out of my skin one of these days… and you'll have to clean up the mess…"

The man just nodded and stepped out of her way.

"You're too damn polite for your own good you know? I wish you'd just bloody react. You've barely said a word to me for a week, and you won't touch me like you think I'm gonna break. You're driving me mad here!"

Shibi simply remained silent, unmoved from his position next to the teacher, no expression on his face.

"And I'm perfectly healed now too, so I'm taking this bloody thing off!" and she ripped off the sling and bandages and threw them at Shibi, her attempts to stare him down failing miserably.

She stormed off towards the guest room where she'd been forced to stay and tried to slam the door but Shibi's hand caught it and halted her rampage.

"Why are you so… aaaaaarrrrrrgggg? I hate Abarumes!"

Shibi again remained stoic and mysterious, only infuriating Alma ever more.

"Just react already!" she punched him in the arm and kicked him in the shin, hard. He still did nothing.

Alma was just about at the end of her tether. A whole week with the man who seemed more dead than alive, he was driving her up the wall.

Inside Shibi was also close to losing it. This woman had done nothing but disturb his time her entire stay, and he had only been trying to help. And she just wouldn't shut up! He listened to her continue to rant at him, attempting to find a way to silence her. He'd tried covering her mouth, but she'd just bitten him and nearly screamed the house down about him being a pervert.

For the first time in a week, he listened to his kikai, and did what they suggested; it was the only thing he hadn't tried.

He grabbed Alma's wrists as she beat her tiny fists against his chest and pushed her back until her legs hit the edge of the bed and she fell backwards with Shibi on top of her. She tried to call him a pervert again but Shibi did something so out of character she was stunned into silence. He pulled away and left her laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, mouth open a little in her amazement.

Perhaps instinct could prove to be more useful than logic after all.

333

Alma finished beating the strands of boiled and then dried nettle stems. She separated the fibres and wet them a little bit, dipping them in and out of the cool water for just a second. She pressed the length in half and placed the centre in the Y of a twig standing upright in the sand of the small beach the class were on. She then showed them how to make thread and twine out of the nettles, and made a fine string so that she could use it to make a fishing line.

The class paired up and went to find some nettles along the edge of the forest tree-line.

The Intensive Course was working out better than she'd thought, and she hadn't even gotten to the best part yet. She was going to leave them alone for the month to fend for themselves.

Whilst the class of fifteen was attempting to make twine, Alma cleared up all of her tools and everything she'd made in the last week. She put out all the fires, and waited for the rain to start before going back to the beach.

"Well you look like you're getting the hang of things. I'll leave you to it and see you in a month then."

"What?" the whole class cried.

"I'm leaving you to yourselves for a month. If you all make it, you pass, if you don't you fail and have to take the whole course again from scratch. It's the final test. I won't be too far away if there's an emergency, and I'll have a medic nin on standby just in case as well. Have fun, and don't die on me… that'd make me look bad."

The medic nin appeared beside her, took her in his arms, and the pair of them vanished in a puff of smoke.

Someone in the class swore.

In her comfortable camp, high in the trees, Alma watched her class through the hidden camera's she'd placed all over the area. She felt a little bad for leaving them so suddenly, but they needed it to pass the test. They needed to feel abandoned; it was the only way the test worked.

She gazed lazily out the little door to watch the rain become heavier. She smiled softly; the weather always did seem to have _perfect_ timing when it came to her own style of teaching. The medic nin sat next to her and kept quiet, as if unsure what to say to the teacher.

"Are you alright Hikaru-kun?" Alma asked as she half grinned at Gai and Lee running round like headless chickens trying to find some dry firewood.

"Yes sensei. I was just wondering… you and Abarume-sama?"

"What about him?"

"Are you… close?"

"What kind of question is that to ask me? And no, I'm pretty sure he hates me as much as I hate him."

"I'm sorry sensei, I didn't mean to pry."

"Don't worry yourself. Why do you ask anyway?"

"Abarume-sama… was nice to me today…"

"And? It's about time he took that stick outta his ass anyway…"

"But he's never been like that to anyone, and he's only like that when you're around, I thought you might have something to do with it…"

"Perhaps it 'cos' I punch him if he pisses me off… I did it during our private training, so that could be it."

Kiba and Akamaru were nearly finished on their shelter, and were just applying the layers on the roof to make it as waterproof as possible.

Alma smiled again, thinking that perhaps everyone would pass this exam. Then she frowned.

On Camera D, the one near the beach, Shibi Abarume was just sitting there, under his coat, doing nothing. She was going to let him sit there, but she didn't really want any harm to come to the stubborn man, so she asked Hikaru to make sure he had plenty of cold medicine at the ready. She began to cook them some dinner and let the class get on with trying to make it in the wild.

Alma walked into the group camp at the end of the month and surveyed the work, the class standing round, some of them looking worried.

"You've all done very well, except for you, Shibi Abarume-sama. You didn't do anything for yourself; you just leeched of the others. You fail, the rest of you go home and celebrate, you've passed!"

The class cheered and started to head home, all except for Alma and Shibi.

"I'm really disappointed in you Shibi-sama. I expected more from you…"

"I don't understand why you would do that."

"What? So you think I wasted all that time at your house, teaching you something you won't even put into practice because of your stupid pride?"

"No."

"What is wrong with you? I have tried again and again to help you, but you keep pushing me away, what will it take for you to accept me?"

"Close your eyes."

"Hang on… what?"

"Close your eyes… please."

"Why?"

"Do you have to question everything I say?"

"Yes."

Shibi frowned and shot forwards, palm out stretched towards Alma, intending to strike. She ducked and tossed herself to the side, narrowly avoiding being hit.

"Ooh! Shibi, did I finally hit a nerve?"

"Do you remember what happened the last time you did that?" Shibi nearly growled.

"Um… you mean that um… kiss?" Alma froze.

Shibi nodded and walked slowly up to the teacher. He reached out and cupped her cheek, startling her back into movement.

"I thought you hated me Shibi…"

"I do."

Alma scowled and attempted to punch the Abarume who caught her wrist.

"I thought I taught you better than that Alma."

She mumbled something Shibi only just caught, and it made him smile a little.

Alma pulled back and tried to get free from Shibi, twisting her whole body round, but she became ensnared by the masses of kikai that surrounded her out of the blue.

"Hey! No fair!" she shouted.

"Life's not fair Alma."

The kikai forced the woman to move so that her back was against Shibi's chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. She let her chin drop to her chest when she realised she was trapped, and whispered one word to him.

"…Pervert…" It was all she could do as her sign of defeat, but Shibi surprised her further by hugging her tighter, and whispering into her ear like silk.

"Only for you my dear…"

Alma blushed and squirmed a little, but couldn't break his hold.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Why? Well I guess I'm just taking the logical route and following my instincts. My kikai have been telling me to give in to them for some time now, I think they like you. You make me so mad sometimes, you make me want to do things I know I shouldn't do… like this. And I don't quite understand it myself, but I find myself wanting you to make me angry, I want you to force me into a corner. I realised when I kissed you that I didn't really hate you in the way that I thought I did… I realised I actually like you. You're the only woman to make me feel like this, and I know that you'll leave me for someone else if I don't let you know how I feel. It's almost like it's because of you that I can feel."

Alma shivered at the sincerity in those words… was he saying that he… had fallen for her…?

"I don't hate you too." Was all she could muster in reply.

Shibi released her and his kikai returned to him, vanishing up his sleeves. Alma didn't turn to face him; she just stared in to nothing, trying to figure things out in her head.

Didn't he hate her? Didn't he want her gone from his life? Had she really made him feel like that?

Alma finally looked at the now humbled man, and whispered to him, her voice somehow horse.

"I need some time."

"I understand."

They walked back to the village in silence and went their separate ways, Shibi went home and Alma went to report to the Hokage. They were both very solemn as they walked away from each other, Shibi put his hands in his pockets and came across something that hadn't been there before.

It was another note from Alma:

'Don't think this gets you out of failing. I'll be round to your house tonight. 8pm sharp.'

Shibi sighed… she never changed.

**(AN: Ooh! What's gonna happen next? I better go write it! R&R please!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**(AN: Sorry this took so long, my pc isn't working so I have to write everything in my email and copy it out from there... Anyway... WARNING! THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS SCENES OF ATTEMPTED RAPE, READERS HAVE BEEN WARNED!)**

Chapter 4 - Holding out for a hero

The days changed into weeks, and still the subject of Alma's feelings didn't arise. Shibi wanted to give her some space, and knew from experience that it could take a long time to figure out how you feel, and longer still to put that into words. However, he was impatient. He wanted to know now not later, and couldn't help sending certain looks in Alma's direction during her lessons.

They made her uncomfortable, and she sometimes gained a small blush over her cheeks, letting him know she's been watching him too. That at least pleased him.

Anko and Kurenai, Alma's best girl-friends in Konoha, had also noticed these looks, though they weren't sure what they meant, and were dicussing them in the Sleeping Shinobi one night as they waited for her to appear.

"Maybe she pissed him off and he's glaring at her?" Anko mused.

"So why is she blushing like that? She seems rather embaressed..." Kurenai sipped at her sake.

"I don't know... maybe they're in love?"

"Ha! Shibi? Have feelings? I know he's human, but that man's heart is colder than when hell freezes over! Besides, all those bugs... what kind of a love life could you have with them everywhere? Obviously it happens or the Abarumes wouldn't exist, but imagine... I couldn't do it, not with all the Genjutsu in the world..."

"Sounds kind of kinky..."

"Anko! You freaky pervert!"

"Yeah, yeah, you love it. But don't you teach his son?"

"Yes. I like the kid a lot, he's sweet and very sensitive, not that he'd want anyone to know that, but you can see it in the way he stands near Hinata. To be honest I think he has a thing for her, but she's so hopelessly devoted to the Uzumaki boy that he doesn't stand a chance."

"Aww... hey, we should set them up together!"

"Not another of your hairbrained schemes? They never work and I always end up taking the blame. Not this time, when it comes to matters of the heart, we're staying clear, and that's final."

Alma finally arrived, looking a little rushed, as though she'd run to the bar.

"Hey girls! Sorry for being late."

"Where've you been? We started drinking without you!" Anko laughed.

"I had some marking to do."

"Liar! What were you really up to?" Kurenai shouted over the music as she pulled her friend into the booth next to them.

"Just marking!"

"Yeah, sure. It'll slide this time Grey, but next time, I want all the juicy details!"

They ignored Alma's excuse, but couldn't help noticing how she half smiled, as though remembering something warm and fuzzy.

Time to go home and Alma, though a little drunk, was still the most sober, and walked both her friends home. Kurenai slumped into Asuma's arms when he opened the door the three cackling women on the porch, and Anko had to break into her own apartment through the window as she's lost her keys the last time she was out and just hadn't gotten round to getting them replaced.

So then Alma was alone.

She was very relaxed after all drink she'd had, but now she was on edge. Stumbling through the dark and empty streets, she stopped dead at the sound of soft padding footsteps behind her.

Looking round, she saw nothing, but the fear crept up her spine and set her heart thumping so loud she thought she might scream.

When nothing else happened she continued onwards, and hearing the steps following her again, she picked up her pace. The footsteps came faster and louder, as whoever it was started to jog, to keep up, and to overtake her.

Alma tripped over the edge of the kerb and into the road, landing hard and letting out a small cry of pain and fear, before she scrambled up and started running. She left both of her shoes behind in the road, and the figure kicked them out of their way as they ran after her.

Alma dashed down a side street and flitted through a small park and into the trees behind it as she tried to get away. The crunch of a second pair of feet in the sand pit made her run even faster, until she met the wall.

She stopped and looked around, there was no way she could scale the wall, and she couldn't see an end to it in either direction, nor any gates. Turning round to face her stalker, she saw the dark shadow walking slowly towards her, knowing she'd stopped running because there was nowhere else to run.

Alma screamed.

It was cut off by a rough hand across her mouth, and she tried to punch and kick her attacker, but he only knocked her to the floor. Pining her hands above her head, the man fumbled with something in his pocket and pulled out some duct tape. He wrapped up her wrists and as she tried to scream when he did this, he slapped her cheek hard. He then balled some up, forced it between her teeth, and stuck a strip over her lips.

Alma was crying, and she tried desperatly to wriggle away, but the man's weight on her legs was almost too much for her. He undid his belt, and then ran both his hands up the inside of her dress, he started to pull off her underwear, and she managed to knock him to the side.

The young teacher was up in an instant, and started running back towards the park, but the man grabbed her ankle and she tumbled down.

He stood up and held her infront of his body like a human shield, a jagged blade across her throat. He looked around him, like he'd sensed another person watching them.

"Who's there?" He growled into the shadows. When he got no reply he backed up and used his free hand to rip Alma's underwear down enough that he could press his hard member against her, only restrained by his boxers. Alma squealed through her gag and tried to wriggle free.

"Try that one more time and this knife goes into that pretty neck of yours."

He reached behind her and freed himself from his boxers, and then lifted the skirt of her dress, his hand touched her and she cried harder and tried to scream through the gag as he guided himself to her entrance. Feeling him there, made her feel sick and she was tempted to stamp on his foot, but the knife pressed against her neck and drew pinpricks of blood.

A black shadow enveloped them, hissing and buzzing, then biting and knawing on the man, sucking at his chakra. He yelled in pain, dropping the knife, and pushed Alma away before turning to run. Alma fell out of the cloud of kikai and into Shibi's arms, fear and exhaustion causing her to pass out for a few moments.

When she came to, the man was nowhere to be seen and she was in Shibi's lap, covered by his coat, as he attempted to pull off the duct tape gag without hurting her. She managed to get her own fingers there faster and ripped the substance away, and then spat out the ball of tape from her mouth. She sucked in a few settling breaths and leaned her head on Shibi's shoulder, her eyes half shut.

"I knew you'd find me..." she whispered as darkness took her once more.


End file.
